Captain America - The Movie (2011)

Last night, my girl and I went to go see Captain America. We have been doing really well so far…went to see Thor, saw Iron Man, let’s just any Marvel (or DC) movie that has come out in the last, seen it! So after Iron Man (and Iron Man 2) a few years back when Nick Fury approached Tony Stark, you knew that a plan was in motion and that eventually…one day…you would see…The Avengers.

I have been waiting to see Captain America since the day it came out, and I must say it didn’t disappoint! This is one of the best movies I have seen in a while. It made me laugh, it made me feel lose and hope, it had you sitting on the edge of the seat…it was good. Although I do still prefer Thor, and although Thor was an awesome movie it may also have something to do with the fact that the guy who played Thor was HOT!

Anywho the movie starts in 1942 at the high of WWII (right around the time that the US decided that maybe the war wasn’t going to stay in the Europe and maybe they should step up a bit more and actually get more involved. Europe was falling at a drastic rate and Hitler was taking the countries down like dominoes. Thankfully, that tiny island up north wasn’t going to go down without a fight). We meet Johann Schmidt, the leader of the deep Nazi scientific group known as the Red Skulls. They are in Norway and a small group invades a lone castle in search of a treasure from the vault of King Odin himself, the all-powerful Tesseract, a.k.a. the Cosmic Cube. Johanna finds the cube he searches, and kills the old man guarding it. He takes the cube back to Dr. Zola (played by Toby Jones) where he demands that Zola figures out how to harness the energy to create weapons that will allow him to take over the world.

Steve Rogers (played by Chris Evans – You know…the same guy that played Johnny Storm…Human Torch) is determined to find a way into the military, even if he has the body of a 12 year old body and so many illnesses no military would ever accept him. Steve after waiting for hours at the recruitment center, get rejected yet again. To escape his depression he goes to a local theater to hide from his shame in the dark. The pre-movie commercial is a call to action for young soldiers…deepening the disappointment that Steve feels in himself. An idiot boy in the theater starts to make lewd comments and Rogers tells him to be quite, the boy turns and he isn’t a boy, he is a football sized bully. The bully takes Rogers outside and proceeds to wail on his face, but Rogers refuse to stay down. Courage of a bull, but body like a mouse this one. Rogers is finally rescued by his best friend Bucky (played by Sebastian Stan).

**On a side note, I think Sebastian Stan was very nice looking in this movie, Rogers was a hotty, but maybe I just like the darker hair…or something about his character that I found attractive…maybe Captain America was just too much of a good boy for me, you know how girls like the bad boys…not MEAN!!! BAD!!!**

Bucky, an average sized boy, has got accepted into the military and has come to spend his last night in NYC with his best friend…and two girls he recently meet. The small group head off into the city to the fair, where Howard Stark (played by Dominic Cooper – also a hotty), Tony Stark’s father is presenting his latest invention…the hover car. Rogers is unfazed by the laughter and celebration around him, he is drawn back to his dream of becoming a soldier. Rogers wonders off towards the recruitment center at the far. Bucky follows Rogers to try to get him to come dancing with him and the girls, but Rogers can’t do it. He confesses his desire to become a solider to Bucky and how he has the right to serve and die like anyone else, even if he isn’t as big or as strong. Bucky feels for him, and understand his friend burning desire to help save the tortured. Rogers says goodbye to his best friend and once again heads to a recruitment center.

Unbeknownst to either of the boys their conversation was overheard by Dr. Erksine, a brilliant scientist from Germany that is determined to help the Allies take down the Nazi’s.

Rogers waits for his results, believing that once again he has failed to get accepted, when Dr. Erksine appears from behind the screen. Thinking he was about to get in trouble for falsifying is records, Rogers considers running, but Dr. Erksine stops him and asks him “Do you want to kill Nazi’s” Rogers just looks at him. Dr. Erksine asked him again. Rogers replies “No, I just don’t like bullies.” Dr. Erksine smiles “We have a lot of big boys in this war already, maybe it’s time to give the little guy a chance” and Dr. Erksine stamps Rogers file and he is in.

We visit Schmidt again; Nazi’s have arrived at his secret facility demanding, direct from Hitler of course, to know the progress of new weapons. The Nazi’s explain that Red Skull is funded by the Nazi regime only because they are supposed to provide new weapons, but Red Skull has not given anything to the Nazi’s in months. Schmidt, lazily leads them to the work shop. He tells them not to worry and that Red Skull has developed some of the most amazing weapons every that can take out entire cities miles away. Then he turns his new weapons onto the 3 Nazi’s denigrating them on the spot. He turns to his people, “it is time to turn away from the old regain, Hail HYDRA,” and with that Schmidt and his followers desert the Nazi’s.

We travel forward to Rogers at his first day of training camp. The luxurious Brit, Peggy Carter (played by Hayley Atwell) walks up to the row of newbies. Walking down the row of plebes, they are all about the same height until she reaches Rogers, who is at least a head 1.5 ft shorter than everyone else.

**side note – it is at this point that my girl leans over and whispers in my ear. What is up with his head, it just looks so freaking on that body, mis-sized. It is really freaking me out! I couldn’t help but laugh…and respond, because that head doesn’t really belong on that body! **

Peggy begins to grill into the guys when one of them makes a snarky comment, Peggy stops, and turns and tells the plebe to come forward. He steps forward and she gives him one hell of a right hook, knocking the little sod on his ass. Just then Colonel Phillips (played amazingly by Tommy Lee Jones) pulls up. He takes one look at Rogers and immediately doesn’t like him and is unpleased with Dr. Erksine for favoring this skinny little boy for the Project “Rebirth.”

Rogers although struggling and being picked on by the other boys continues to push forward, show more than once his wit, courage and drive. While doing a run, the Sgt tells the recruits that anyone who gets the flag down from the top of the flag pool will get a ride home from this half way mark. All the guys rush forward trying to climb the pool as the Sgt stands their laughing “No one has gotten that flag down in 17 years” as the plebes fall back into formation, Rogers walks up, pulls out the pin keeping the pool standing start and the flag falls to him.

Still unconvinced that Rogers is the right guy for the mission, Colonel Phillips decides to test the group and prove to Dr. Erksine that his choose of another newbie is better. Colonel Phillips pull a grenade from the box, pulls the pin and tosses it in front of the trainees. All duck and run, except for Rogers, who throws himself onto the grenade without a second thought, willing to sacrifice himself for the other. Colonel Phillips although not pleased, gives in and Rogers is the new candidate.

Dr. Erksine comes to Rogers the night before the experiment. He tells Rogers a story about when he was back in Germany. He tells of a man, Johann Schmidt, his first test subject who was too eager to wait for the serum to be perfected, demanded a mortal boost forced Dr. Erksine to perform the experiment. But something went horrible wrong and Schmidt suffered horribly. Although Schmidt survived, and the experiment worked, the serum didn’t just heighten his physical abilities, but it also heightened who he was…and mean became evil. Rogers looks at Dr. Erksine, wondering why he was chosen…and Erksine explains that it is because he is a good person inside.

We go back to Johann Schmidt, who has called for Zola, he informs Dr. Zola that they have found Dr. Erksine and to be on the safe side he has issued orders to have him “taken care off.” Dr. Zola, terrified of Schmidt, agrees and hurries away.

The next day Peggy escorts Rogers to the secrete lab of Dr. Erksine, which I must say was SUPER well hidden. Stark is there to assist Dr. Erksine along with other Senators and military leaders watching on as they hope to see their first Super Soldier born. Rogers steps into the chamber and the extremely painful experiment begins blacking out the power in half the city…but it was all worth it because out-steps a body like a god! Everyone rushes forward to see, but in the background…an assassin is at work. He shots Dr. Erksine, grabs the last of the experimental serum and run. Rogers takes off after the man, catching him but only to have the man scream Hail HYDRA before biting into a cyanide capsule.

New York and the rest of the country go wild as news spreads about this new hero, this Captain America. And although Rogers wants nothing more than to go and fight alongside the other soldiers, he is commanded to say in the USA, because his blood is the only thing left that holds the key to creating other Super Soldiers. So with no other way to help, Rogers hits the road, as Captain America preforming alongside dancing girls and getting the civilians to by war bonds. He travels around the country, until he ends up in Italy, where he is preforming in front of the 107^th.

Rogers is booed off stage and while he sits out back, Peggy finds him. Through her he learns that the 107^th has just gotten back from combat with the Red Skull and over 2/3 of the soldiers are dead or missing. Rogers jumps, Bucky was assigned to the 107^th, he rushes off to find Colonel Phillips. However Colonel Phillips realizes that it is a long shot to send out a rescue mission 30 miles into enemy territory. Refusing the quite Rogers goes off alone.

He hitches a lift from Stark and flies as close to his target as possible. He sneaks onto the base, and manages to rescue the men. While fighting his way out alongside the rescued soldiers, Schmidt sees Rogers on the security cameras and realizes that Rogers was Dr. Erksine project and that he is like him. Realizing that his men would lose this battle, he sets his facility to destruction and heads for the door dragging Zola along with him.

Rogers still unable to find Bucky begins to explore the facility. He finds a chuck of the cube from Odin’s vault and realizing it may be valuable takes it. Finally he stumbles upon Bucky in an abandoned room strapped to an experimental chair. Rogers checks the other rooms to make sure it is safe, where he notices a map, where all the Red Skull facilities are located, before he goes back and unties his friend. Together they make their way towards and except, when they come face to face with Schmidt.

Schmidt confronts Rogers, tries to convince him to join Red Skull (why you would try to turn such a patriotic, Goody two-shoes into a traitor is beyond me, but whatever). Schmidt, frustrated with Rogers removes his prosthetic face to revel his true image…Red Skull. Hideous really. Turning to escape Red Skull leaves Rogers and Bucky trapped on the far side of the facility.

Obviously the boys manage to escape thanks to some quick thinking on Roger’s side and Captain America and the rescued soldiers return to the campsite to the joy of everyone. Rogers has managed to rescue 300+ Allie prisoners on his own Realizing that Rogers is a wonderful asset, Colonel Phillips lets Rogers put together his own team to take out the rest of Red Skulls hide outs. Which thanks to Rogers memory and luck at seeing the map they know where they are all located. Rogers, Bucky and his marry team of men head out and cause MASS chaos on poor Red Skulls hideouts dropping them like flies.

Right before the last one, they hear word that Red Skull is going to be taking a train, but it is a trap and Bucky ends up taking a dive. Upset over the loss of his longtime friend, Rogers is even more determined to stop Red Skull. He learns that Red Skull is taking a giant B2 (or at least that is what it looked like) full of 8 (I believe…I can’t be 100% on that) missiles and heading for the East Coast. Rogers and the entire 107^th move on Red Skulls facility trying to stop the mad man from destroying the USA and the world. Red Skull seeing his window of opportunity closing makes a break for the Giant B2 and starts to taxi to Takeoff. Seeing what is happening Rogers takes off after the plane, but let’s be honest, even Captain America can’t catch up with a Giant B2! But in behind him pulls Col. Phillips and Peggy. Racing down the runway they manage to catch the aircraft just before it lifts off and Captain America jumps onto the wheels. As he is taken up into the landing gear, he realizes how dangerous this plane is as he looks around and sees all the bombs. Realizing that there was only one way to end his, he kills Red Skull and sacrifices himself driving the Giant B2 right into the ice, imprisoning himself there.

We jump forward. Rogers, awakes on a bed. He hears a ball game in the background. Suddenly a nurse walks into the room. Rogers jumps to his feet. “Where am I?” he demanded. “1945,” she replied. He looks at her and calls her bluff. “That game on the radio is from 1941, I was at that game,” realizing her cover is blown she calls for action, but Rogers is to fast he bust out of the room and out of the building and right into the middle of Times Fucking Square…in the year of our lord 2011!

Welcome to the Avengers!! Coming 2012!!!!! BRING IT BABY